Coach of the Year Runner Up: Tim Murphy

Over his 22 years as head coach of Harvard football, Tim Murphy has earned a Bill Belichick-esque reputation for keeping his emotions in check. He tends to downplay his excitement after big gains and minimize his anger after big losses—in short, a level-headed leader.

But recent years have tested this philosophy. A coach can only hide so much emotion after his team scores 14 unanswered points against Dartmouth, in the fourth quarter, before a raucous crowd, and with an undefeated record and potential league title on the line.

Not even Murphy hesitates to show emotion in these situations.

“That [Dartmouth game] was just an emotional rollercoaster ride,” captain Matt Koran said. “We almost lost—we should have lost probably. But after that game coach Murphy was just ecstatic.”

No matter the emotions Murphy chooses to show or hide, his management style has generated significant success during more than two decades at the helm.

In 2016 Murphy followed his familiar pattern of winning. He guided the Crimson to a 9-1 record and a share of the Ivy League title, his ninth total and third consecutive championship as head coach in Cambridge.

Although Harvard failed to complete back-to-back undefeated seasons, this year still served to cement Murphy’s legacy as one of the all-time great Ivy League coaches. Since the official organization of the Ancient Eight in 1956, only one other coach—Yale great Carmen Cozza—has more wins than Murphy. Over the last 15 seasons under Murphy’s leadership, Harvard has the best record of any team in FCS play (123-26).

As he has done so effectively over the past two decades, this year Murphy employed his skill of making not only the right football decisions but also the right personnel moves.

Two rookies, wide receiver Justice Shelton-Mosley and running back Noah Reimers, played integral roles in Harvard’s offense in 2015. Murphy was confident that these two freshmen would be able to develop a rapport with senior quarterback Scott Hosch, and that confidence lies in his style of player evaluation.

“Coach Murphy actually has a really good read on whether freshmen can handle that job,” Koran said. “Those two guys in particular have really been studs ever since they walked in the door…. [Murphy] trusts the guys that he recruits, and he trusts that he can read people well.”

Throughout his recruiting process, Murphy does not just look for raw talent. He searches for high school athletes who he believes can represent Harvard well both on and off the field. As a result, he places emphasis on character and ability to handle adversity, along with sheer talent.

On the field, Murphy proves similarly calculating. According to senior offensive lineman Anthony Fabiano, his knack for controlling his emotions helps keep the team focused—such an attitude paid dividends toward the end of the 2015 season.

“He’s all business all the time,” Fabiano said. “The season’s not over after one game. Our goal every year has been to go 10-0, and only until that goal is met will he show that type of emotion.”

Riding a 22-game winning streak that dated back to 2013, Harvard faced off against Penn in the penultimate week of the season. A win would give the Crimson a shot at a second straight undefeated season and an outright Ivy championship.

After the Quakers dominated the first quarter, 21-6, Harvard rallied in the second quarter, putting up 19 points to grab the lead heading into the second half. However, Penn stifled the Crimson offense for the rest of the contest and found the end zone twice to secure a 35-25 win.

Even after such a heartbreaking loss, Murphy managed to rally his troops in anticipation of The Game, which would decide whether Harvard would claim a share of the Ivy League crown.

“After that game, I think there was just a melancholy throughout the locker room for the next Sunday lift,” Koran said. “He called in all the senior leaders into his office and sat us down…. It ended up being a really great week, and we came back strong.”

However, when the team does achieve its goals, lofty as they may be after years and years of continual success, Murphy is not slow to jump into the fray and celebrate with his team.

The Crimson’s final game provided an opportunity for such elation, as Harvard cruised past Yale, 38-19, to claim the ninth straight Game. Overall Murphy has posted a 17-5 record against the Bulldogs.

For some coaches, that victory might be the prelude to an offseason of celebration—just not for Murphy.

If past years indicate anything, it’s that Murphy moves on quickly from previous accomplishments, ready to improve slowly but surely. Despite all the complexities that come with the top job, Murphy’s philosophy boils down to another Belichick-esque emphasis: on to the next day.

“Coach Murphy likes to say, ‘Your next day is your best day,’” Fabiano commented. “The fact that he preaches that every single day doesn’t really sink in until you leave the program. Those words have stuck with me, and they’ll probably stick with me for a long time.”

—Staff writer Jack Stockless can be reached at jackstockless@college.harvard.edu.